Wax emulsion for use in building products / Henry Company Llc

Title: Wax emulsion for use in building products.Abstract: Provided herein is an aqueous wax emulsion, comprising water; a paraffinic hydrocarbon; polyvinyl alcohol and a wax component comprising synthetic olefin wax component. The synthetic olefin wax component may be selected from the group consisting of (i) a synthetic normal α-olefin wax; (ii) a synthetic olefin wax of a carbon chain length of about 20 or more carbon atoms, that is modified by oxidizing and/or by refining through distillation or stripping; and (iii) combinations thereof. Such emulsions are also useful for settable gypsum compositions and water-resistant wallboard formed therefrom. Also included herein is a montan wax substitute for use in an aqueous montan-based wax emulsion. ...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/476,314, filed Apr. 17, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention involves a wax emulsion which provides excellent moisture resistant properties for use in building materials without requiring use of montan wax.

2. Description of Related Art

Synthetic and natural waxes are used in many industries. Such wax emulsions are known for use in products within the building products industry, notably in gypsum wallboard for waterproofing and in oriented strand board. Amongst natural waxes used in the building products industry, particularly for water-resistant gypsum wallboard, montan wax is prevalent. Montan wax is a lignite-wax, including chemical components formed of long chain alkyl acids and alkyl esters having chain lengths of about 24 to 30 carbons. In addition, natural montan includes resin acids, polyterpenes and some alcohol, ketone and other hydrocarbons such that it is not a “pure” wax. The saponification number of montan, which is a saponifiable wax, is about 92 and its melting point is about 80° C. Montan wax while highly effective has its drawbacks in that it is not always sufficiently pure and as a natural wax, tends to have some inconsistencies in formulation and more importantly, is available only in limited supply from a natural source which is generated primarily in Germany, such that the wax is becoming more expensive and obtaining adequate supply is becoming an issue for manufacturers of such wax emulsions.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,722 describes a water-resistant gypsum composition and wax emulsion therefore, which includes a paraffin hydrocarbon having a melting point of about 40° C. to 80° C., about 1 to 200 parts by weight montan wax per 100 parts of the paraffin hydrocarbon, and about 1 to 50 parts by weight polyvinyl alcohol per 100 parts of the paraffin hydrocarbon. The use of montan wax in the wax emulsion for water-resistant wallboard has been very effective and provides excellent performance, even in view of the other drawbacks associated with use of montan wax.

In addition to montan wax, other naturally derived waxes are known for use in various industries and include petroleum waxes derived from crude oil after processing, which include macrocrystalline wax, microcrystalline wax, petrolatum and paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is also a natural wax derived from petroleum and formed principally of straight-chain alkanes having average chain lengths of 20-30 carbon atoms.

Also outside of the building products context, in addition to waxes that occur in natural form, there are various known synthetic waxes which include synthetic polyethylene wax of low molecular weight, i.e., molecular weights of less than about 10,000, and polyethylenes that have wax-like properties. Such waxes can be formed by direct polymerization of ethylene under conditions suitable to control molecular weight. Polyethylenes with molecular weights in about the 2,000-4,000 range are waxes, and when in the range of about 4,000-12,000 become wax resins.

Fischer-Tropsch waxes are polymethylene waxes produced by a particular polymerization synthesis, specifically, a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (polymerization of carbon monoxide under high pressure, high temperature and special catalysts to produce hydrocarbon, followed by distillation to separate the products into liquid fuels and waxes). Such waxes (hydrocarbon waxes of microcrystalline, polyethylene and polymethylene types) can be chemically modified by, e.g., air oxidation (to give an acid number of 30 or less and a saponification number no lower than 25) or modified with maleic anhydride or carboxylic acid. Such modified waxes are more easily emulsified in water and can be saponified or esterified. Other known synthetic waxes are polymerized α-olefins. These are waxes formed of higher α-olefins of 20 or more carbon atoms that have wax like properties. The materials are very branched with broad molecular weight distributions and melting points ranging about 54° C. to 75° C. with molecular weights of about 2,600 to 2,800. Thus, waxes differ depending on the nature of the base material as well as the polymerization or synthesis process, and resulting chemical structure, including the use and type of any chemical modification.

In the building products area, U.S. Patent Publication No 2007/0181035 A1 is directed to a composition for use in making medium density fiberboard (MDF). The composition has a component for reducing surface tension and improving dimensional stability for use in oriented strand board and MDF. The surface tension agents are either fluorinated hydrocarbon compounds of two to six carbons or alkoxylates of alkyl phenols or alkylated acetylene diols. These materials are provided to a composition having a combination of montan wax with other waxes, ammonium hydroxide for saponification, water and polyvinyl alcohol. Nonsaponifiable waxes may be used in this composition, including paraffin and scale or slack wax (which is petroleum derived). Saponifiable waxes which may be used include Montan, petroleum wax, and various natural waxes.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0245931 A1 discloses use of alkyl phenols in emulsions for water-proof gypsum board. The alkyl phenols are long-chain hydrocarbon chains having a phenolated ring of 24-34 carbon chain lengths. The publication describes use of lignosulfonic acid, and magnesium sulfate. The wax components can be combinations of paraffin and montan. The patent claims that the compositions are stable without the use of starch as in prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,707 of the same inventor. The wax used in the composition may be various commercially known waxes having a melting point of from about 120° F. (48.9° C.) to 150° F. (65.6° C.) with low volatility and a high molecular weight with carbon chain lengths of 36 or higher. The hydrocarbon wax component includes waxes known in the field of gypsum slurries.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,976 describes an aqueous emulsion for gypsum products with hydrocarbon wax, polyolefin-maleic anhydride graft polymer and polyvinyl alcohol and/or acetate. The maleic-modified material is known as FLOZOL®. The hydrocarbon wax can be paraffin or a polyethylene wax, maleated hydrocarbon wax or combinations thereof. The wax can also be a synthetic wax ester or an acid wax. The polyolefin-maleic anhydride graft copolymer is a 50-500 carbon chain graft copolymer, which when provided to the wax emulsion is described as providing improved water repellency to a final gypsum product.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0083928 A1 describes a suspension, instead of an emulsion, of various waxes in water that is mixed directly with gypsum. In describing the waxes, the suspensions can include polyethylene wax, maleated hydrocarbons and other waxes as well as wax combinations.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,192,909 describes use of polyolefin wax in an application outside the building products area, which is as a lubricant for plastics processing, specifically for PVC. The waxes are described as homopolymers and copolymers of various α-olefins that have been modified in a polar manner (oxidized) or grated with polar reagents. They can be used alone or in combination with other waxes, e.g. montan waxes, fatty acid derivatives or paraffins.

U.S. Publication No. 2006/0196391 describes use of triglycerides in emulsions, and notes that the prior art has made use of petroleum waxes and synthetic waxes such as Fischer Tropsch and polyethylene waxes, which have been used for purposes similar to those of the invention of Publication 2006/0196391 with mixed results.

Various types of α-olefin and other olefinic synthetic waxes are known within the broad category of waxes, as are chemically modified waxes, and have been used in a variety of applications, outside the water-resistant wallboard area. They are of a wide variety and vary in content and chemical structure. As noted above, water-resistant wallboard products generally use paraffin or montan in a formulation alone or in combination with each other, or other paraffinic or synthetic waxes as described above in the mentioned exemplary patent references. While various waxes and wax substitutes have been used and tried in the building products area for wax emulsions generally, particularly in some cases with a goal toward finding an adequate substitute for use of montan wax, the waxes as have been adopted to date do not include normal α-olefin or oxidized α-olefin waxes.

There is a need in the art for continued development of wax emulsions for use in building products such as water-resistant gypsum compositions and oriented strand board, as well as a desire to find substitutes for the costly use of montan wax, which is in limited supply and can have inconsistencies due to its natural source, while still delivering the same waterproofing properties and desired wax emulsion properties of montan wax.

BRIEF

SUMMARY

The present invention includes an aqueous wax emulsion that comprises: water, a paraffinic hydrocarbon, and a wax component comprising synthetic olefin wax component, wherein the synthetic olefin wax component is selected from the group consisting of (i) a synthetic normal α-olefin wax; (ii) a synthetic olefin wax of a carbon chain length of about 20 or more carbon atoms, that is modified by oxidizing and/or by refining through distillation or stripping; and (iii) combinations thereof. The synthetic olefin wax component may be the synthetic olefin wax (ii) having a carbon chain length of at least 28, more preferably at least 30. The synthetic olefin wax component may also be the synthetic olefin wax (ii) and comprise a mixture of one or more of (a) an olefin having a carbon chain of about 28 to about 54 carbons; (b) one or more component selected from an aldehyde, a ketone, a carboxylic acid and a carboxylic ester; and (c) a dimer prepared from olefins having carbon chain lengths of about 28 to about 54 so as to have dimer carbon chain lengths of about 65 to about 108.

In one embodiment, the wax component may further comprise montan wax in a blend with the synthetic olefin wax component, or be present in a blend of the synthetic olefin wax component with one or more of the following components: natural or synthetic carnauba wax, palm wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, a polymeric alkene, and an oxidized polyethylene wax. In another embodiment, the synthetic olefin wax component is from about 1 percent to about 100 percent of the wax component, preferably about 20 percent to about 80 percent of the wax component, more preferably about 30 percent to about 70 percent of the wax component and most preferably about 40 percent to about 60 percent of the wax component. In further embodiments, the emulsion may comprise a saponifying agent. The saponifying agent may be an alkali metal, such as potassium hydroxide. The emulsion may also include at least one of a dispersant and a surfactant. Such dispersants preferably comprise sulfur or a sulfur-containing group, and may be, for example, lignosulfonate. In preferred embodiments herein, the paraffinic hydrocarbon is a paraffin wax having a melting point of about 40° C. to about 80° C.

In yet further embodiments, the emulsion further comprises a stabilizer, such as, for example, polyvinyl alcohol, which may be present in an amount of about 1 part to about 20 parts, by weight, per 100 parts of said paraffin hydrocarbon. In addition, the polyvinyl alcohol is preferably about 97% to about 100% hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol.

The invention also includes a settable gypsum composition suitable for forming a water-resistant gypsum product comprising: a) 100 parts by weight of gypsum, and b) about 0.5 part to about 20 parts, by weight, of emulsion solids, per 100 parts, by weight, of gypsum, of an aqueous emulsion comprising: i) water; ii) a paraffinic hydrocarbon; and iii) a wax component comprising synthetic olefin wax component, wherein the wax component is present in an amount of about 1 part to about 200 parts, by weight, per 100 parts of the paraffinic hydrocarbon. The synthetic olefin wax component may be as described hereinabove. In one embodiment, the emulsion further comprises polyvinyl alcohol, which may be present in an amount of about 1 part to about 50 parts, by weight, per 100 parts of said paraffin hydrocarbon. In preferred embodiments herein, the polyvinyl alcohol may be about 97% to about 100% hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol.

The invention further includes a water-resistant gypsum board comprising a set composition of the type of gypsum composition noted herein above. In a further embodiment, the board may have a core sandwiched between a pair of liners, wherein the core comprises a set composition of the type of gypsum composition noted herein above.

The invention further includes a method of manufacturing a water-resistant gypsum board comprising: a) forming a mixture of: i) 100 parts by weight of gypsum; and ii) about 0.5 part to about 20 parts, by weight, of emulsion solids, per 100 parts, by weight, of the gypsum, of an aqueous emulsion comprising: a. water; b. a paraffinic hydrocarbon; and c. a wax component comprising a synthetic olefin wax component, in an amount of about 1 part to about 200 parts, by weight, per 100 parts of said paraffinic hydrocarbon; b) forming the mixture into a structure; and c) drying the structure while permitting hydration of the gypsum to form a gypsum wallboard. The synthetic olefin wax component may be as described hereinabove. In one embodiment, the structure may be an assembly and the method may further comprise placing a layer of the mixture on a first liner, disposing a second liner on the layer in opposed relationship with the first liner to form the assembly of the first and the second liners with the layer sandwiched therebetween. In a further embodiment of the invention, the emulsion further comprises polyvinyl alcohol, which may be present in an amount of about 1 part to about 50 parts, by weight, per 100 parts of said paraffin hydrocarbon.

Also within the scope of the invention is a montan wax substitute for use in an aqueous montan-based wax emulsion comprising a paraffinic hydrocarbon, a wax component, water and polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the wax component comprises the montan wax substitute, and the montan wax substitute comprises a synthetic olefin wax component selected from the group consisting of (i) a synthetic normal α-olefin wax; (ii) a synthetic olefin wax of a carbon chain length of about 20 or more carbon atoms, that is modified by oxidizing and/or by refining through distillation or stripping; and (iii) combinations thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Applicants herein, after significant research for a suitable montan wax substitute have surprisingly found that such as substitute could include a synthetic olefin wax component not previously adopted for use in the building products area, and will work exceptionally well in a wax emulsion for building products to provide good water-resistant properties, better supply capability and reduced cost. Thus, such synthetic olefin wax components can be excellent montan wax substitutes.

Such materials include a synthetic olefin wax component which preferably include synthetic α-olefin waxes, such as normal α-olefin waxes and/or synthetic olefin waxes as described herein. Useful materials within this general category are supplied and available from for example, Chevron-Phillips Chemical Company LP, The Woodlands, Tex. under the name Modified 30+ HA Wax (CAS No. 1003863-31-7; product Numbers 0001103509 and 0001103513). Other preferred materials for such wax emulsions for building products, such as water-resistant gypsum wallboard are described as preferred pour point depressants for hydrocarbon formulations such as oils in U.S. Publication No. 2007/0095723 A1 of Chevron. This publication describes several types of possible pour point depressants, and synthetic olefin waxes of note for use herein are those that are formed as olefin streams from ethylene oligomerization, from cracking of heavy waxes (Fischer Tropsch waxes) and mixtures of paraffins and olefins, as well as normal α-olefin waxes and oxidized waxes.

Most preferred are the synthetic olefin waxes, and more particularly those which are formed of a mixture of: olefins having a chain length of about 28 to about 54 carbons; one or more of the following materials in either or both of unsaturated and saturated forms: aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and esters; and dimers prepared from olefins having carbon chain lengths of about 28 to about 54 so as to have dimer carbon chain lengths of about 65 to about 108.

The disclosure of 2007/0095723 describing such pour point depressant synthetic olefin waxes, normal α-olefin waxes, and oxidized waxes is incorporated in relevant part herein by reference. Derivatives of Chevron α-olefins with carbon numbers above 20 are designated by Chevron for use as pour point depressants. Chevron also notes that such wax fractions are also able to be chemically modified. Preferred amongst Chevron\'s class of synthetic olefins are α-olefins of carbon chain lengths of at least about 20, more preferred are those about 26 to about 28 and higher, and most preferred are those of 30+ chain length, which may be used as pour point depressants in the art, and α-olefin synthetic materials of about 26 carbons or more, including such materials after chemical modification. All of such materials described hereinabove are within the scope of the “synthetic olefin wax component” as that term is used herein.

Another suitable wax includes IGI R-4706G available from The International Group, Inc., Agincourt, Ontario, Canada. It is also an oxidized α-olefin wax of a carbon chain of length of about 30 or more carbons, and is functionalized for good bonding.

The synthetic normal α-olefin waxes and synthetic olefin waxes used in the synthetic olefin wax component herein, alone or in various combinations thereof, preferably are of carbon chain lengths of at least about 20, more preferably at least about 26 and most preferably at least about 30 or more carbon atoms, are also preferably modified either by oxidizing and/or narrowing the molecular weight distribution to refine the wax by various techniques known in the art or to be developed such as various stripping techniques, distillation techniques and the like, and more preferably oxidizing and refining. Even more preferably they may be synthetic olefin waxes formed from mixtures of olefins, saturated and unsaturated ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and/or esters, and olefinic dimers, as noted above.

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20121018|20120263963|wax emulsion for use in building products|Provided herein is an aqueous wax emulsion, comprising water; a paraffinic hydrocarbon; polyvinyl alcohol and a wax component comprising synthetic olefin wax component. The synthetic olefin wax component may be selected from the group consisting of (i) a synthetic normal α-olefin wax; (ii) a synthetic olefin wax of a carbon |Henry-Company-Llc